Drainage plus harvesting rainwater. Will get it done a bit piecemeal. The mounds into which the trees and then the understory will be planted will do the drainage.

Also in the swales—lots organic matter incl some hardwood chips, prunings from the trees (apart from any diseased prunings, of course—that feed the fungi and feeder roots of the trees. Chooks will love scratching in it—and add their own fertiliser. Eventually—no need to irrigate!

Do a Google on swales, tons info, could be good for your butterfly forest.

Abbott & Co are going to cause the mother and father of all recessions—be prepared!

Harvesting without using ladders will a great benefit.Putting up a ladder on uneven ground is not easy, even 3 legged ladders. Much better to be standing on the ground.Going to weight or tie down branches to the ground ?

I noticed after a rain the banked path was sodden and holding water. On other normal sloped areas the soil was very firm.So it made a big difference.

Will need to prune or it grows to its full 14–15', close to 5 metres Apart from picking fruit there is pruning, spraying (neem oil mainly)

Bending down branches is good, use tree ties, tie with string to a ring in a post.

I saw a really good idea, will work with any fruit tree (any tree, really.)

Collect some plastic water bottles (with tops) and get some thick, plastic coated wire. Make a loose hook at one end of the wire and tie the other around the neck of the bottle. Hang bottle from the branch, add water until it bends the branch, put top on bottle. Thick, plastic coated wire won’t harm the branch. Do this in stages to avoid snapping off the branch. Must have closed the page containing that hint but will find it again.

Abbott & Co are going to cause the mother and father of all recessions—be prepared!

I like the plastic water bottle idea. Won't have anything to trip over.

Trees shaped like this can fruit more. The fruit is exposed to more sun.Also, the fruit is more accessible, so much better. That will make a huge difference when you have kilos of fruit.Can put the fruit box on a small table beside you as you pick, if you are standing on the ground.

well I am really going to give it a go- getting an avo here will be the tricky bit especially A Hass- but as for olive trees I have seen one man here with a whole grove- he is dead now but they lived on for years until the new owner moved in and bulldozed the lot want to plant peaches/ a good apricot lemons and other fruits as well-

Came across a note I had made: run greywater into the swales. Good idea! Sedges around the outside will remove impurities, apparently phosporous can build up, shallow swales will fill and overflow, rinsing excess phosporous out the whole system.

I will have sink, washing machine (after first rinse, maybe) bath & shower, handbasin etc all running out to the garden.

Cherries don’t like dry, yet if irrigated grow like topsy! Delicate balance—and I am not there to do the balancing!

Abbott & Co are going to cause the mother and father of all recessions—be prepared!

I love the idea about the moat around a tree- and I will be doing that for all my trees- my dad used to irrigate his actual BIG vegie garden and he used the channel system that they used in market gardens by making a big channel at one end and allowing the water to run in at will into furrows - he would block and control the flow of water that way- it would run down slow and soak right in- he had a beautiful veggie garden using the channel system- we lived near a river-it was great life there-

OK, I am going to plant all the cherry trees in row 4. That way don’t need to get no ripping done this year. Or next year—will be maintenance (pruning, spraying) and planting understory plants like currants, gooseberries, pepperberries, planting more herbs and beneficial plants.

Then I will decide where to put the perry pears—in the front garden will do, right by the road: perry pears are inedible even to pigs, hard, woody etc which makes them easier to mill, apparently. But anybody pinching one of them to eat will only ever pinch one

Spending a lot of time in the conservatory I reckon between the fruit trees and the house a lot of flowers some decorative trees like crepe myrtle, a beech or silver birch etc, vege/herb patch near the kitchen, maybe partere with stepover apple trees (extremely dwarfing trees) separating different beds, a pond with fountain etc.

Abbott & Co are going to cause the mother and father of all recessions—be prepared!

I have had a thought about the two cider apples trees I bought but don’t want: I will plant them somewhere, keep them small by pruning—use the roots to graft wood from a tree I do want to the roots of the ones I don’t!

One could be winesaps, only available in dwarf—graft a decent branch to the rootstock—plenty delicious apples that will store really well!

if I don’t, just dig them up throw them away!

Abbott & Co are going to cause the mother and father of all recessions—be prepared!